VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #3138/01 2041438
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231438Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9081

UNCLAS PARIS 003138 
 
SIPDIS 
 
MILLENIUM CHALLENGE CORP 
INFO EU MEMBER STATE COLLECTIVE 
AMEMBASSY DAKAR 
AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 
AMEMBASSY COTONOU 
AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV FR
 
SUBJECT: FRANCE'S NEW DEVELOPMENT AID POLICY GOALS:  EFFICIENCY AND 
ADVANCING GOOD GOVERNANCE 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  French State Secretary for Cooperation and 
Francophone Affairs Jean-Marie Bockel recently outlined France's 
public development aid priorities, which include developing clear 
strategic aims (such as support for good governance and democracy) 
through a variety of players, including NGOs and French cities, 
departments and regions.  Bockel will work in close cooperation with 
a new French participant in the development arena, Brice Hortefeux, 
Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and 
Co-development to maintain the coherence of French aid policy.  GOF 
action is to be merged with that of its EU partners in countries 
where French presence is "not significant."  End Summary. 
 
Clear aims: Conditionality 
-------------------------- 
¶2. (U) Speaking before representatives of French development aid 
players during a two-day seminar on International Cooperation and 
Development July 17-18, new Cooperation Secretary Jean-Marie Bockel 
set four conditions for granting foreign aid: a democratic 
government, public policies in favor of the neediest, respect for 
human rights, and anti-corruption policies.  If these conditions 
cannot be met, political initiative must take over in the form of an 
agreement between major donors, Bockel said.  He suggested that such 
an initiative be taken by the EU, the world's leading net 
contributor of public development aid. 
 
Focus on a few strategic aims 
----------------------------- 
¶3. (U) French aid programs must also be streamlined since "we can't 
do everything, be everywhere," Bockel noted.  French aid should 
therefore be limited in scope, and focus on one or two strategic 
aims in each country, he said.  The aims should meet one or more of 
five challenges: the environment, population growth, rural 
development, governance, and cultural and linguistic diversity. 
Bockel explained that governance did not only include fighting 
corruption but also ensuring fairness in international trade.  He 
will speak on cultural diversity and France's cultural and 
linguistic policy at a separate venue. 
 
Involve more players 
-------------------- 
¶4. (U) In addition to the French Development Agency (AFD), the GOF 
will call on other, less traditional players to implement these 
changes.  The newest and most promising one stems from the "network 
of solidarity" spun by immigrants to France, Bockel stated.  He said 
that he will work closely with Brice Hortefeux, Minister of 
Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-development to 
ensure that French aid policy remains coherent.  Bockel's statement 
sheds some light on Hortefeux's involvement in "co-development." 
The GOF will also give greater prominence to development NGOs and 
French sub-national entities (regions, departments, cities) because 
the "battle of development cannot be won without them," he 
observed. 
 
Reforming the modalities for granting aid 
----------------------------------------- 
¶5. (U) Given the new aims and players, Bockel argued for providing 
different types of aid to countries according to their high, low or 
intermediate level of governance.  Low governance countries will 
require non-governmental aid.  Capacity building and reconstruction 
will be given priority in the most fragile of these countries.  In 
democratic countries France will cooperate with other donors, rather 
than try to outshine them, through budget support and sectoral 
support policies.  Finally, in so-called intermediate countries, the 
French Development Agency AFD will grant subsidies, sovereign and 
non-sovereign loans and finance technical assistance based on 
national policies, as well as the 2005 Declaration of Paris on Aid 
Effectiveness. 
 
French Public Development Aid in Numbers 
---------------------------------------- 
¶6. (U) Bockel confirmed that France would abide by its pledge to 
increase its foreign assistance budget from its current 0.47 percent 
of GDP to 0.7 percent by 2015.  In order to meet its commitment for 
a more generous and better- targeted development aid policy, Bockel 
told French development players that impact assessments would be 
carried out to test the efficiency of each project.  He will also 
lead an outreach effort aimed more specifically at schools, 
universities, NGOs and local entities. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7. (SBU) Bockel's new tone is a reflection of President Sarkozy's 
pledge for new relations with Africa and an end to GOF support for 
dubious regimes.  We will want to watch carefully to see if the new 
 
focus on "International Development and Interdependent Solidarity" 
leads to more result-oriented policies and programs within the 
Cooperation Ministry, less channeling of promised aid increases 
through multilateral institutions such as the EU, and an effective 
pull-back from countries where others (such as the United States) 
have taken the lead.  We note that the Sarkozy government has 
formally backed away from President Chirac's goal of increasing 
French ODA to 0.7% of GDP by 2012, in favor of the 2015 target 
pledged by EU member states in 2005.  It is clear that France's 
development assistance budget will come under continuing pressure as 
the Sarkozy government moves forward with tax cut and budget 
consolidation priorities. 
 
STAPLETON